High voltage tube socket



`S pt. 2A, 1958 4. c. `.1. PACE 2,850,714

- l HIGH VOLTAGE TUBE SOCKET Filed Nov. 16, 1954 United States Patent OHIGH VOLTAGE TUBE SOCKET Charles J. Pace, Butfalo, N. Y., assignor toSylvania Electric Products, Inc., a corporation of MassachusettsApplication November 16, 1954, Serial No. 469,156

6 Claims. (Cl. 339-193) The present invention generally relates to tubesockets and, more particularly, to tube sockets for use in conjunctionwith high voltages. While the invention is of general utility, it isparticularly adapted for and will be described in conjunction with thehigh voltage generator of a television receiver wherein a high voltagerectifier tube is required to provide the necessary operating potentialfor the picture tube.

In the present day television receivers, as well as in many otherapplications, electron discharge devices are operated at voltages of theorder of ten to twenty kilovolts. To prevent arcing between such devicesand nearby portions of the associated circuit, certain prior artarrangements have provided an insulating shield surrounding both thebase of the tube and the tube socket. These arrangements have alsoincluded a conductor, called a corona ring, which is mounted in closeproximity to the solder lugs of the tube socket to prevent arcing.However, these prior art arrangements have, in general, been quiteexpensive, and have involved considerablelabor, time in assembling theshield to the tube sockets, assembling the corona ring to the tubesocket, and assembling the shield on the chassis of the receiver. v

It is, therefore, desirable to minimize the number of assemblyoperations involved in high voltage tube sockets and shield arrangementswhich are to be competitively marketed. Accordingly, it is a principalobject of the present invention to provide a new and improved tubesocket arrangement for operation at high voltages. l

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved means for mounting a corona ring in close proximity to thesolder lugs of a tube socket.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a unitary highvoltage shield and tube socket housing is provided which, in addition toreducing the cost of the socket by eliminating certain elements of theprior art and by reducing the number of assembly operations needed tofabricate the socket, elects a more sturdy and consequently safer socketthan has been heretofore known. In accordance with another aspect of thepresent invention, a corona ring mounting arrangement is providedwhereby the corona ring may be readily assembled on the tube socket witha minimum number of assembly line operations.

The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation,together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best beunderstood by reference to the following speciication taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a tube socket embodying the features of thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the tube socket shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3 3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is an electrical circuit diagram of a high voltage rectifiercircuit wherein the tube socket and corona ring arrangement of thepresent invention may be employed.

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly to Figs. 1 through 3thereof, the high voltage tube socket of the present invention istherein illustrated as comprising a hollow cylindrical insulating shield1 having, intermediate the ends thereof and integral therewith, apartition 2 which extends completely across the cavity in the cylinder1, the partition 2 `being provided with slots 2a and 2b which form apassageway for conductors connected between the top and bottom of thepartition. When this socket is employed in a television receiverutilizing a filament transformer, the lament leads may convenientlyextend from the top to the bottom of the chassis through the slots 2aand 2b. A pair of ears 3 and 4 are formed integrally with the shield 1and extend outwardly from the wall of the cylinder 1 at opposite sidesof the longitudinal axis thereof and are provided respectively withcircular apertures 5 and 6. These ears and associated apertures providea convenient means for mounting the socket to a chassis with whi-ch itis to be employed. At the center of the partition 2, which is located atthe longitudinal axis of cylinder 1, there is provided an aperture 7having a keyway 8 located adjacent thereto. A plurality of recesses 9,which extend through partition 2, are symmetrically arranged about theaperture 7 and accommodate a plurality of tube pin receptacles 10 whichare disposed within the recesses 9. The central portion of the partition2 has a minimum thickness which is determined by the construction of thetube pin receptacles used and which is, therefore, considerably greaterthan that required to physically support a tube within the insulatingcylindrical shield 1. Therefore, in the interest of reducing the weightof the socket as well as the amount of material used, the annular outerportion of the partition 2 is made thinner than the central receptaclesupporting portion thereof.

The contact pin receptacles 10 are conveniently constructed from asubstantially T-shaped piece of sheet metal with the cross arm 10athereof folded over so as generally to define a cylinder adapted toreceive one of the tube pins. The cylindrical portion of the receptacles10a which make contact with the tube pins are disposed in the upperportions of the recesses 9 and rest on shoulders 11 which are providedwithin and near the bottom of the recesses 9. The leg portions 10b ofthe receptacles 10 extend past the shoulders 11 and protrude from thebottom of the partition 2. Small bulges 12 on the leg portions 10b abutagainst that portion of the lower surface of partition 2 which isadjacent to their housing. The portions 10b of the tube pin receptacles10 constitute solder lugs which enable electrical connections to be madeto the pins of a tube inserted within the socket.-

In order to provide an arrangement wherein a corona ring may be quicklyand easily assembled to the tube sockets with a minimum number ofassembly line operations, there is provided in the central portion ofthe partition 2, and adjacent one of the solder lugs 10b, a bottomopening recess or well 13 which is adapted to receive the supporting leg16 of a corona ring 17, the leg 16 extending transversely of the ringportion 18 of the corona ring 17 so that the ring portion 18 ispositioned parallel to the partition 2 andis spaced from the tips of thesolder lugs 10b when the leg 16 is inserted into the recess 13. Each ofthe solder lugs 10b has provided therein a pair of circular apertures 14and 15 to facilitate the connection thereto of electrical leads.Preferably, that one of the solder lugs 10b, which is adjacent therecess 13, is bent outwardly in a radial direction, so that the outeraperture in the lug is aligned with the recess 13. With thisarrangement, the corona ring 17 may be readily assembled 3 to the tubesocket by merely inserting the leg portion 16 thereof through the outeraperture of the corresponding solder lug b and then bending this lug sothat the leg portion 16 can be inserted into the recess 13. The legportion 16 is then soldered to the solder lug through which it extendsso that an electrical connection is established for the corona Vring 17while at the same time providing a good mechanical support for the legportion 16 so that the ring portion 18 is rigidly secured and notsusceptible to vibration.

lt will be noted that the length of the leg portion 16 is determinativeof the spacing between the solder lugs 1Gb and the ring portion 18 ofthe corona ring 17. In producing these sockets for different commercialapplications, only one type of tube socket need be provided and coronarings having a leg portion at least as long as that required for anydesired voltage application may be stocked, the leg portions of thecorona rings being trimmed to the desired length before assembly in thesockets. Of course, where a large number of similar devices operatingunder the same voltage conditions are being assembled, it is expedientto initially provide a corona ring having a leg portion of the desiredlength.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings, there is illustrated a typical high voltagerectier circuit wherein the tube shield and corona ring arrangement ofthe present invention may be employed. Referring to this gure, highvoltage pulses are developed across the winding of the high voltagetransformer 26 and the upper end of the winding 25 is connected to theanode cap 27 of a high voltage rectifier tube 28. A iilament winding 29of the transformer 26 is connected through the resistor 30 to the solderlugs 31 and 32 of the tube socket 1. The solder lug 32 which isconnected to the corona ring 17 is connected to the secondary winding29. A filter condenser 3S is provided which is connected to one end ofthe winding 29 and to one side of the filament of the tube 28 so as tosmooth out the pulse wave rectified by the tube 25 and provide asuitable energizing potential for the cathode ray tube of the receiver.Since the corona ring 17 is positioned closely adjacent the tips of thesolder lugs 10b, the potential of all the solder lugs and consequentlyall the tube pins is maintained at the high voltage produced across thecondenser 35 so that arcing to points of lower potential is prevented.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been shown,it will be understood that this invention should not be limited theretosince, of course, many modications may be made. Therefore, by theappended claims it is intended to cover all such changes andmodiications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

l. A tube socket for use in high voltage applications, comprising ahollow, cylindrically shaped insulating member having a transverselyextending insulating partition integral with said member and positionedintermediate the ends of said member, a plurality of tube pinreceptacles arranged within said partition for the reception of tubecontact pins from one side of said partition, tube indexing means forpreventing improper insertion of a tube into said receptacles, aplurality of contact members disposed within said receptacles, andprotruding from the other side of said partition, one of said contactmembers having an aperture in the protruding portion thereof, saidpartition having a recess therein adjacent said one contact member, saidlast named contact member inclined toward said recess, and a corona ringhaving a substantially annular portion and an outstanding portion, saidA corona ring being disposed with the annular portion dening a planeparallel to the plane of said partition and with the outstanding portionextending through said aperture in said contact member and terminatingwithin said recess.

2. A combined tube socket and corona ring assembly, comprising aninsulating body member having a plurality of contact pin receivingrecesses arranged therein, solder lugs disposed within said recesses andextending from one side of said body, said body having a recess disposedadjacent one of said lugs, said one of said lugs having an aperture inthe protruding portion thereof and being inclined toward said recess,and a corona ring having la transverse leg portion extending throughsaid aperture and into said recess, whereby said corona ring is ixedlymounted on said body.

3. Apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein said leg portion of saidcorona ring is electrically and mechanically connected to said one lug.

4. A socket for `use, with a signal repeating device comprising aninsulating housing, a plurality of receptacles arranged within saidhousing, a plurality of contacts disposed within said receptacles andextending without said housing, said housing including a recess adjacentsaid one of said contacts opening on only one surface of said housing, adevice having a leg extending therefrom, said leg being disposed Withinsaid recess, said one of said contacts inclined toward said recess andmeans bonding said leg to said inclined Contact whereby said device issecured to said housing.

5. A high voltage tube socket comprising a hollow cylindrical insulatingshield; a partition integral therewith and extending across andintermediate the ends of said cylindrical, shield, said partion having acentral opening and a keyway, said partition also having a plurality ofperforations symmetrically arranged around the central opening, saidperforations and central opening adapted to receive the pins and centralguiding member of vacuum tube, said partition being thicker at itscentral portion and having a thinner annular supporting section aroundsaid thicker central portion; a plurality of metal connectors, withinsaid perforation, having lugs xed thereto, said lugs extending throughthe bottom side of said partition; a circular, metal corona ring; asupporting leg mechanically and electrically xed to the lcorona ring,said leg extending through one of said lugs and into an opening in thebottom side, and 'thicker portion of said partition, said leg beingsoldered to said lug'where it passes through the same, said corona ringlying in a plane parallel to said partition and being within and spacedfrom the lower inner wall of said cylindrical insulating shield.

6. Apparatus as claimed in the preceding claim characterized by the factthat said partition is slotted so as to enable the passage of electricalconductors therethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,132,203 Clark Oct; 4, 1938 2,300,891 Hanks Nov. 3, 1942 2,531,085Stacey Nov. 21, 1950 2,543,577 Hugenholtz Feb. 27, 1951 2,556,956 BentonJune 12, 1951 2,717,366 Summerer Sept. 6,1955

FOREIGN PATENTS 352,786 Germany May 5, 1922 558,114 Great Britain Dec.22, 1942

